- Gadget-oriented ice fishermen commonly use hand-powered or gas engine ice augurs to drill holes in the ice. Both of these can quickly drill holes in almost any ice thickness. Ice fishermen desiring homemade equipment can fashion a cutting spike that works nearly as well. A 4- to 6-foot-long length of steel pipe, sharpened at one end, can cut holes in all but the thickest ice. If the lake has extremely thick ice, fishermen using home equipment can find holes dug recently by previous fishermen and reopen them with the homemade spike.
- Many ice fishermen like modern manufactured ice fishing sheds to stay warm while fishing on the ice. These sheds are placed on the ice at the beginning of winter and stay there for the entire season. A homemade wind screen can reduce the biting chill of a northern wind at much less cost. The home builder will need a common tarp bought from a home store, two poles and thin rope to raise and stabilize the tarp much like a sail. Another way to stay warm easily is to bring a propane heater. These small heaters are normally designed to heat small rooms in a house but can provide enough heat to warm hands and feet, making ice fishing much more comfortable.
- Some modern ice fishermen use fish finders to locate fish after drilling holes with gas-powered ice augers. Complex fish finders are not needed, however. Ice fishermen can use contour maps of the lake to find likely depths that the fish will hold. They then can use a simple string with a heavy sinker to find the depths the fish like. Using the map, fishermen should only need to dig one or two holes with a sharpened metal pipe to locate the desired area.
- Snowmobiles have become the transportation of choice for many ice fishermen. Another option is to simply purchase or build a sled and attach a homemade wooden box to it. The ice fishing equipment will fit in the box or be tied to the top of the box. The fishermen can then pull a sled to the desired location and start fishing.
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